How does Frost presentnature in this poem? The following questions may help you to think ofan answer.

(i) What are the birdsthat are usually named in poems? Do you think a crow is oftenmentioned in poems? What images come to your mind when you think of acrow?

(ii) Again, what is “ahemlock tree”? Why doesn’t the poet write about a more‘beautiful’ tree such as a maple, or an oak, or a pine?

(iii) What do the‘crow’ and ‘hemlock’ represent − joy orsorrow? What does the dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlocktree stand for?

Frosthas presented nature in quite an unconventional manner.While in other nature poems we come across birds such as nightingalesor sparrows, Frost has used a crow in this poem. A crow can beassociated with something dark, black, and foreboding. That is whyother poets usually mention singing nightingales or beautiful whitedoves in their poems.

Also,the poet has written about a hemlock tree,which is a poisonous tree. He has not written about a more beautifultree such as a maple, or oak, or pine because these trees symbolisebeauty and happiness. Frost wanted to symbolise the feelings ofsadness and regret, which is why he has used a hemlock tree.

Thecrow and the hemlock tree represent sorrow.The dust of snow that is shaken off the hemlock tree by the crowstands for joy that Frost experiences. He has, therefore, used anunconventional tree and bird in order to contrast them with joy inthe form of snow.

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